Restructuring: Osinbajo educates Atiku

Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo says Peoples’ Democratic Party presidential aspirant, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar does not have a clear understanding of the true concept of restructuring, noting that there is need to educate the former Vice-President.

Recall that Osinbajo had drew the irk of many when he said the problem with Nigeria is not a matter of simple geographical restructuring but “about managing resources properly and providing for the people properly, that is what it is all about.

Atiku, while responding to the statement had said the vice-president demonstrated “a lack of appreciation of the core tenets of the concept,” noting that the clamour for restructuring is beyond geographical reshuffling.

But in a letter on Tuesday, Osinbajo said Atiku mixed up the concept of restructuring with “issues of good governance and diversification of the economy”.

“First, let me say that I really would have expected Alhaji Abubakar to at least get the full text of my comments before his public rebuttal of my views. But I understand; we are in that season where everything is seen as fair game! He quoted me as saying that “the problem with our country is not a matter of restructuring… and we must not allow ourselves to be drawn into the argument that our problems stem from some geographic re-structuring”.

“Alhaji Atiku’s concept of restructuring is understandably vague, because he seeks to cover every aspect of human existence in that definition. He says it means a “cultural revolution”,” Osinbajo said.

“Surprisingly, Alhaji Atiku leaves out the elephant in the room – corruption. And how grand corruption, fueled by a rentier economic structure that benefits those who can use political positions or access to either loot the treasury or get favorable concessions to enrich themselves.

“As we all may recall, the 2014 National Conference actually recommended the creation of 18 more States. And I argued that, with several States struggling or unable to pay salaries, any further tinkering with our geographical structure would not benefit us.

“We should rather ask ourselves why the States are under-performing, revenue and development wise. I gave the example of the Western Region (comprising even more than what is now known as the South West Zone), where, without oil money, and using capitation tax and revenues from agriculture and mining, the government funded free education for over 800,000 pupils in 1955, built several roads, farm settlements, industrial estates, the first TV station in Africa, and the tallest building in Nigeria, while still giving up fifty percent of its earnings from mining and minerals for allocation to the Federal Government and other regions.

“I then argued that what we required now was not geographical restructuring but good governance, honest management of public resources, deeper fiscal Federalism, and a clear vision for development.”

“In the final analysis, restructuring in whatever shape or form, will not mean much if our political leaders see public resources as an extension of their bank accounts. This, I believe, is the real issue,” he said.